1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for depositing individually packaged items in containers and to a controller for performing the method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to use robot lines for depositing individually packaged items in containers. The individually packaged items and the containers are conveyed into work zones of individual robots, and the individually packaged items are deposited by robots in predefined empty spaces of the container in accordance with a controller. Picking lines are described for instance in International Patent Disclosure WO 2004/113030, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,122,895 and 5,040,046, German Patent Disclosure DE 37 04 423, and Swiss Patent Disclosure CH 693 710. International Patent Disclosure WO 2004/018332 describes how products can be automatically recognized and selected. International Patent Disclosure WO 03/103903 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,507 disclose a common controller for a plurality of robots.
Enabling the robot to know which individually packaged items it is supposed to deposit and in which empty space requires complex learning processes. These learning processes must typically be performed by personnel who are especially trained for the system. If the type of packaging is to be changed, then the system has to be stopped and reprogrammed.